The Bubble Bath
by iloveromance
Summary: When Daphne arrives unexpectedly on Niles' doorstep after a fight with Sherry, he doesn't hesitate to invite her in and cater to her every desire. But when he goes out of his way to make her comfortable a mishap occurs that leaves him completely humiliated. AU version of "Daphne Hates Sherry" written with love for Leigh Ann! *hugs*
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I 'stole' this idea from an extremely adorable and hilarious scene between the characters of Jack and Jennifer on "Days of our Lives" that aired way back in 1990, but being that they were my all time favorite couple until I discovered Niles and Daphne over twenty years later, the scene transitioned itself quite nicely into this "Daphne Hates Sherry" story!**_

As he stared at the angel sitting beside him on the fainting couch, Niles' heart raced. Surely it wasn't because of the champagne or the unbearable heat. It had to be Daphne.

Of course it was.

She was the most beautiful goddess he'd ever seen and he could hardly believe that she was in his home, let alone that she'd come over on her own free will. If only she knew how much he loved her. And oh, how he wanted to tell her.

But now was not the time. She was still vulnerable, reeling from the horrible things that Sherry had said to her mere hours before at Frasier's during a heated argument.

Niles loved his father, but how a man of Martin Crane's intelligence could fall so hard for such an annoying, unbearable woman was beyond him. Sherry's persona was worlds away from his mother's, but perhaps that's what drew his father to her. He always said that he'd never find another woman like Hester Crane and he'd been proven right. So when he discovered Sherry at his favorite bar, Martin couldn't wait to show her off, much to Niles and Frasier's chagrin.

Still, Niles couldn't bear the thought of anyone hurting his angel, let alone Sherry. The way she'd made Daphne feel so cheap burned him to the core. Why, it was simply appalling!

Now as he looked at Daphne, his hormones raged. But he refused to take advantage of her. His body screamed out with need for her and Niles wondered-as he often did-what it would be like to kiss her deeply. To scoop her weightlessly into his arms and carry her upstairs to his bedroom where he would lay her gently on the bed. And then...

_Dear God it was hot in here..._

His throat went dry and he gulped down his champagne, immediately pouring another glass. The rush of alcohol made him dizzy, but again he blamed it on Daphne. She did things to him that no woman ever had; and all from afar.  
Without warning she rose from the fainting couch and stood in front of his oscillating fan, which was blasting at full speed and yet provided little relief from the heat. Staring at her, he wondered how he'd managed to control himself. Any other man would have gone to her, wasting no time in having his way with her.

And perhaps he was a fool not to do so.

For there she stood, an angel in slim blue jeans and a small scoop neck white t-shirt. She was standing with her back to him, completely oblivious to the way he was looking at her with eyes as wide as saucers, drinking in her beauty and the curves of her body.

Her hand went to her neckline and she gently pulled the neckline of her shirt foreword, letting the cool breeze rush over her chest which was beaded with sweat. Shamefully he found himself wondering what her curvy body must look like underneath that t-shirt, all hot and...

His hand trembled as he poured yet another glass of champagne, downing it in one gulp before pouring another. The room began to spin and when she finally turned to him, he clutched the edge of the fainting couch in a lame attempt to refrain from fainting a second time.

Finally she turned to him and his heart leaped in his chest.

"Dr. Crane?"

He rose at once, still holding the empty champagne glass between his fingers.

"Yes, Daphne?"

"I don't want to impose, but... It's awfully hot and...well...would it be all right if I took a cool bath?"

"You could never be an imposition, Daphne" he replied. And without a moment's hesitation, he bounded up the stairs to prepare the bathroom for her.


	2. Chapter 2

He retrieved his best Egyptian cotton towels from the linen closet and then hurried into the bathroom. There he sat on the edge of the enormous tub and filled it with cool water, as she'd requested. On impulse he grabbed a bottle of scented bubble bath from underneath the sink.

It was a housewarming gift from his strange neighbor who lived down the hall. Despite his attempts to explain his marital status, Margret simply refused to believe that he was unattached. So when she'd arrived on his doorstep with a gift basket of bath products, he felt obligated to accept it.

There was no denying that he was slightly hurt by Margret's assumption of his being single since he still stung from his recent divorce. And so to rid himself of any additional pain, he'd stashed the basket away, never dreaming in a million years that he'd find a use for it.

Now he found that he was eternally grateful to Margret for her generosity. He opened the bottle and almost instantaneously the scent of mint and lavender filled the room, sending his mind reeling as he poured a generous portion under running water. The bubbles began to rise until the tub was almost overflowing.

A few lit candles and some soft music completed the task. But as he looked around at what he'd created he feared that he'd made a terrible mistake. And his heart began to race.

_Dear God, what had he done?_

The flickering candlelight and soothing music combined with the scented bubble bath had all the makings of a romantic interlude. And while the idea made his heart soar, the thought of coaxing Daphne into the tub in such fashion never entered his mind.  
Not at that moment anyway.

He simply wanted to make her as comfortable and as happy as possible.

He hurried down the stairs, smiling when he saw her sitting on the fainting couch eating a piece of fruit.

"Daphne, your bath is ready."

She rose at once to face him, taking his breath away once more.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. You have no idea how much this means to me. I feel terrible imposing on you because I'm sure you had better things to do than to take care of me and listen to me rambling on about Sherry."

"There's nothing I love more than listening to you, Daphne. And that goes for anything you have to say. You're welcome here anytime you like."

Daphne smiled and hugged him. "That's so sweet. Thank you, Dr. Crane."  
He stared at her for several seconds, aware that his face was flushed.

"Um... why don't you take your bath now? I took the liberty of laying out some Egyptian cotton towels for you. They'll be gentler on your skin."

He was rewarded with a smile and a kiss on his cheek as his heart warmed.

"You're such a good friend. You're always thinking of me."

As she moved past him and made her way upstairs, he ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

_You have no idea..._


	3. Chapter 3

When Daphne was gone, Niles took the opportunity to clean up the living room a bit. It hardly needed it but he definitely needed something to keep his mind off of her; as if that could ever happen. He was feeling a bit dizzy and he knew that there was no way he could blame it on the abundance of champagne. At least Baby was there on her perch to keep him company.

He sat on the fainting couch, trying to cool himself with the osculating fan. But as before, it did little to ease the heat that crept into his body. He closed his eyes finding that the simple gesture relaxed him and soon he had drifted off to sleep.

His eyes opened a short time later and he glanced around the room, momentarily confused as to where he was. But when he saw the oscillating fan and the tray of fruit, he remembered... or at least his heart did.  
Daphne...

He sprung off of the couch when he remembered that she'd gone upstairs to indulge in the bubble bath he'd so lovingly prepared for her. It was getting late and in his haste to make things comfortable for her, he'd forgotten to ask if she was hungry. He silently chided himself for his stupidity, for she must be famished by now.

Quickly he ran to the kitchen and made a salad and poured a glass of iced tea. It was hardly romantic but he hoped she'd appreciate the gesture just the same. He placed the items on a tray and carefully carried it upstairs.

When he reached his bedroom he paused, wondering if he was doing the right thing. The last thing he'd ever want to do is make her uncomfortable. But he also hated thinking of her being hungry. So he quietly walked into the room and made his way to the bathroom. The door was ajar, but he looked away as he knocked lightly.

"Daphne?"

But strangely there was no answer.

He tried again, a tiny bit harder.

"Daphne? It's Niles... Um... Dr. Crane. Are you all right?"

Again no answer.

His breathing increased and although he tried not to think about what could have happened. But his mind had other ideas. There must be some reason why she wasn't answering. His heart raced as he opened the door and walked into the bathroom.

"Daphne, is everything o-."

Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, unable to tear his eyes away. His heart, which had been so worried, was now beating rapidly for a different reason. Daringly he walked inside, trying to be as quiet as he could

For there in the tub, her body still covered with bubbles, was Daphne... sound asleep. She looked so beautiful that he could only stare in awe. Only her head, neck arms and feet were showing and in the glow of the candlelight she was absolutely perfect. The flawless features that were in view were all he needed to see.

He knew he should leave. Just sit the tray down on his dresser and go downstairs to wait for her to wake up. She was bound to wake eventually. He could always occupy himself with doing what he was doing before she came over and sit on his fainting couch attempting to catch up on his reading.

But something wouldn't let him leave.

Daringly he sat on the edge of the tub, smiling when he noticed that she had bubbles on her face. His fingers trembled as he reached foreword and gently brushed the bubbles away and he couldn't help but smile as he stared at her.

"I love you, Daphne." He whispered in a voice so low that she couldn't possibly hear him.

And it was then that he realized the champagne had gotten the best of him. He stared at her, wanting so badly to kiss her sweet lips. If he could just brush his lips against hers... just once.

Before he realized what he was doing, he moved even closer. The touch of his lips startled her and she gasped in surprise.

"Oh! Dr. Crane!"

But he didn't hear her. For at that moment, her gasp startled him as well. And he found himself beside her...

Submerged from head to toe in bubbles.


	4. Chapter 4

He was so stunned that he could hardly speak and he didn't dare move, choosing instead to stare at her in disbelief.

"Daphne, I-."

She grabbed a towel and held it in front of her, submerging half of it in the tub in a rather humorous attempt to cover herself.

"What are you doing in here?" She yelled. "Get out! Get out of this tub right now! Do you hear me?"

He hurried to climb out of the tub as the water rolled back and forth like a tsunami, splashing onto the tile floor.

"Daphne, I'm sorry. I-."

"You should be sorry! Just get out of here before I call the police! I mean it, Dr. Crane!"

"I-I'm sorry... I... just... let me get the soap. I think it fell-."

When he reached into the mound of bubbles, but then froze when his fingers touched something smooth and her eyes widened. "That's not soap!" she screamed. "Now get out! Get out of here and don't come back!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry...I-." He scrambled out of the tub, his clothes soaking wet as he daringly stole a glance at her. But as soon as their eyes met, he knew it was a mistake. She began screaming and yelling louder than he thought possible. "Get out! Get out right now!"

Shaken by her outburst, He carefully walked across the tiled floor, not caring that he was spilling water everywhere.

"I'm so sorry, Daphne. I..."

"Dr. Crane, _please_! Just...Dry yourself off and get out!" She screamed, shaking his nerves even more.

He grabbed his terrycloth robe and pulled it around his body, tightly tying the belt and then took a few towels from the linen closet. In his bedroom, his heart pounded in his chest and although the coolness of the water was welcome on his heated skin, it did little to calm his trembling nerves. He felt completely numb and he wondered if he'd ever recover.

As quickly as possible he dried off and changed his clothes before heading downstairs, for he was sure that Daphne would want him as far away as humanly possible.

When he reached the living room, he was grateful for the sight of the champagne bottle which still sat on the coffee table. With a trembling hand he uncorked it and poured a glass, which he drank in one gulp before pouring another. He proceeded to drink a few more, ignoring the dizziness that returned almost immediately.

Feeling tipsy, he walked across the room, paying no mind to the fact that it seemed to be moving back and forth, and sat down on the fainting couch with the strangest urge to cry.

Dear God, what had he done?

He was only trying to make Daphne feel comfortable. She'd been through quite an ordeal and he was sure that Sherry had a lot to do with it. The nerve of that woman!

Well... It was too late to do anything about it now. He'd ruined things between himself and Daphne forever, as well as any chance they might have been given to be together. How could he possibly explain his actions to anyone, much less the woman he loved so deeply?

Was it so wrong to want to kiss her sweet lips? She looked so peaceful in his bathtub; an angel under a fragrant mound of bubbles. His heart warmed at the memory, but the warmth instantly turned to pain.

When he heard movement from upstairs, he panicked; his mind reeling with apologies. But he knew that nothing he could say would ever be enough.


	5. Chapter 5

"Dr Crane?"

She looked so beautiful there on the landing of his staircase, that she took his breath away. But oddly enough, he couldn't bring himself to look at her. The humiliation he felt was simply too great.

"Dr. Crane?" She said again.

He cleared his throat and poured another glass of champagne while feigning interest in Baby who was sitting on his perch, oblivious to what was happening around her. And at that moment he wished he could trade places with her. Because even a bird with such a tiny brain would be able to handle this situation better than he.

Still staring at the white cockatoo, he heard soft movement, and then Daphne was beside him, her hand on his shoulder. He simply didn't deserve to be touched by such a delicate and beautiful creature.

"Are you... all right?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

He blinked; horrified when he felt tears on his cheeks and it was one of the few times that he found himself at a loss for words. And then he felt her hand on his chin, gently turning him to look at her.

After a brief silence, they both spoke at once;

"Daphne-."

"Dr. Crane-."

Amazingly the coincidence made him chuckle. "Go ahead, Daphne."  
She took his hand in both of hers and guided him to the fainting couch. And still he couldn't look at her.

"Dr. Crane, I'm so sorry for yelling at you. I was..."

"Daphne, you had every right to yell at me and even call me horrible names if you wished. I deserve each and every one of them."

Again she turned his face toward hers and it was hard to hold back the tears in his eyes as well as the ones paining his heart.

"This is my fault."

Before he could respond, he was pulled into her arms, the scent of her damp hair wafting under his nose as it mingled with the scent of the bubble bath. If ever there was a more heavenly aroma, Niles doubted it could have existed.

"Daphne, no. I-."

Her fingers went to his mouth and he shuddered aroma her touch. "I'm so sorry for me horrible outburst. I know you were just worried about me and wanted to see if I was all right. It was very sweet of you. I suppose I was just enjoying that heavenly bath a little too much and I drifted right off to sleep. Thank God you were there to check on me, Dr. Crane. I might have drowned!"

He stared at her in disbelief. It was the most perfect excuse he'd ever heard.

"Daphne, I-."

"You saved me life!" She said, leaning to kiss him on the lips. "I don't know how I can ever repay you. Please, tell me what I can do!"

The wheels in his head were spinning out of control as he desperately tried to think of a suitable repayment. And then he was in her arms once more.


	6. Chapter 6

"You're such a sweet man, Dr. Crane. No one has ever been as kind and considerate as you have. To think that you cared enough about me to make sure that I was all right just makes me heart soar. And then you made me that lovely salad. It was wonderful by the way and I was a bit hungry. I admit that I devoured the whole thing in your bedroom. I'm sorry it took me a while to come downstairs but I suppose I was hungrier than I thought."

He swallowed hard, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Thank you so much." She was saying now. He attempted to raise his head to look at her but her lips met his neck and the feeling was like nothing he'd ever experienced. But he didn't deserve to be treated so kindly.

"I-I'm glad you liked the salad, Daphne. I-If you want more, I'd be happy to make you another... O-or anything else you'd like. Some pasta, or an omelet, perhaps?"

"I'm fine, but it's so sweet of you to offer. You're so thoughtful and kind and I'm sorry I keep saying this but I can't believe you cared enough about me to make sure that I was all right. I've fallen asleep in the tub before, but it scares me to think what could have happened. I never thought about the possibility of drowning, but I hear about it all the time on the news, so who's to say that it can't happen to someone like me?

And if you hadn't been there, trying to wake me up... Oh, I don't even like to think about it. Your brother let me use his gigantic tub a few times but he never bothered to check on me. I suppose it is a bit awkward, seeing your employee in a bathtub full of bubbles."

She laughed then, a sound that was music to his ears.

"What a sight I must have been, lying there with me body covered in bubbles, me mind far away in slumber! I don't even know what I was dreaming about, unless it was that a handsome man was telling me how much he loved me and how I was the only one he'd ever loved. Isn't that silly? And I could have sworn I heard the words _I_ l_ove you Daphne_, as though the wind was carrying them through the air! I'm reading too many romance novels, I suppose. That's what Sherry says anyway. I'm too thin; I need a little meat on me bones... Apparently that's what men want but let me tell you I've heard plenty of them complain when a woman has too much. I wish they'd make up their minds. I know I shouldn't keep talking about this but I can't help it. Her words resonated with me, and as much as I don't want them to be true, I'm afraid they are. I am too rigid and I do need a man in me life. I can't go on being single forever."

"Daphne-."

She took his hand and squeezed. "Listen to me, carrying on as though I'm the most important person in the world. Then she looked at him thoughtfully. "You know, now that I think about it, I don't really need a man."

"Y-you don't?"

"I have you."

When his eyebrows rose in confusion she laughed once more. "Oh Dr. Crane, I'm sorry! Of course you are a man and I do need you in me life but I'm talking about a man with whom I can share me innermost thoughts, my desires and lots and lots of kisses. I know it's silly and I can't even believe I'm saying this to you, but I'm sure you've heard your patients go on and on about the silliest things. I guess Sherry and me mum are right. I do read too many romance novels. But I suppose having a wonderful friend like you is better than being alone all the time. And I value your friendship more than ever; especially since you saved my life!"

"Daphne-."

"Well, I suppose I should run upstairs and get that tray so that I can put it in the kitchen before I head home."

He gasped at her words. "Home?"

"Yes, I suppose it's time that I have a talk with Sherry, as much as I don't want to. Your brother is bound to make me do it anyway, but I'd much rather stay here with you."

When she rose from the fainting couch, he grabbed her hand.

"Daphne, wait... There's something I need to say."

Surprised, she turned to him. "Oh... All right. Shall I sit down?"

He sighed and took another gulp of champagne. "I think it's best."

She did as he asked and then looked into his eyes. "What's on your mind?"

The question made him smile and he squeezed her hand.

"When I disturbed you earlier while you were in the tub... I..."

"I'm sorry I went on and own about you savin'; me life and all. I suppose it's a bit silly anyway."

"It's not silly at all, Daphne. But you see... As happy as I am that you're safe, that wasn't the only reason that I was standing beside you."

"It wasn't?"

Once more he swallowed hard and took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

"No..."

The words were a whisper on his lips. "It's just that... I did come in there to check on you at first. And when I saw that you had fallen asleep, you looked so beautiful that I longed to know what it would feel like to kiss you."

The room was eerily silent, except for the oscillating fan, which to his dismay had dried him off completely and he was now as warm, if not warmer than he was before.

Daringly he looked at her, letting himself get lost in her beautiful brown eyes. "You... You wanted to kiss me?"

"Well... Yes... because you see, Daphne...I..."

"Oh, Dr. Crane... That's-."

But before he could stop himself, he moved closer and kissed her. But this was no friendly kiss. It was a romantic, passionate kiss; the kind he'd always dreamed of sharing with her.

When the kiss ended, he drew back and stared into her eyes. "I love you..."

She gasped in surprise. "Y-you what?"

"I love you Daphne. This isn't the way I had planned on telling you and I hope you don't think I'm being foreword, but..."

"You love me? As in..."

"Yes Daphne... I'm in love with you. But if it makes you uncomfortable, I understand. I just... wanted you to know."

There was a long silence before she spoke again. "Oh... I see... Well... I'd better go get that tray now."

"Daphne, wait..."

But she was already heading up the stairs. When his head began to spin, he knew it wasn't from the champagne. He'd managed to ruin things once more.

With a sigh he sat down his champagne glass and headed up the stairs. He had to talk to her, or at least plead with her to listen to him. He couldn't let his feelings ruin a wonderful friendship.

When he reached his bedroom, his heart was pounding and for a moment he couldn't breathe. But he gathered his courage, prepared to say what was on his mind.

However, nothing could have prepared him for what he found when he passed through the doorway.

Daphne lay on his bed, her hair splayed across his pillow, sleeping like an angel. The sight made his heart soar. With a smile on his face, he gently adjusted the sheets and comforter, allowing her to crawl into bed. Amazingly she barely stirred as he pulled the cool cotton sheets over her body and kissed her cheek.

He knew he should awaken her, because they had so much to talk about. But that could wait. He'd call Frasier in the morning and explain the situation and then hopefully they could resolve things with Sherry.

Right now, he was content to have her near him, where he knew that she would be safe. And as he quietly cleaned up the bathroom and glanced at the tub, he couldn't help but smile. For he would never think of bubble baths quite the same way again.

**THE END**


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